Redskins vs. Broncos
The Redskins have been chosen by the NFL to kick off the preseason in front of a national, primetime audience. The Redskins head to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, where the team will take on the Denver Broncos as part of the annual Hall of Fame Weekend celebration.
This will be Washington's fourth appearance in the Hall of Fame Game. The Redskins are undefeated in Canton, having beaten Detroit 20-3 in 1965, Cincinnati 17-9 in 1975 and Buffalo 31-6 in 1989. Redskins Head Coach Joe Gibbs will become the second Hall of Fame enshrinee to coach a team in the annual Hall of Fame Game. (The other was Paul Brown with Cincinnati in 1975). The Redskins last opened up the preseason against the Denver Broncos in 1984. The Redskins won that game 16-13 and went on to secure a playoff spot that year under Gibbs.
Gibbs, a 1996 Hall of Fame enshrinee, rejoined the Washington Redskins in January and returns to the playing field for the first time after 12 seasons. The offseason has been a busy one for Coach Gibbs and his staff, spending extensive time getting ready for the 2004 season both on the practice fields at Redskins Park and in the meeting rooms.
Gibbs, who coached the team from 1981 to 1992, turned the Redskins into an NFL dynasty during his first tenure. He led the Redskins to four Super Bowls--winnning three titles--and accumulated a 124-60 record during regular season play and a 16-5 postseason record.
"I think back to the Hall of Fame--it was one of the greatest experiences I've ever had," said Coach Gibbs. "It was a great weekend and being a part of that was a thrill. Going back, getting to coach in the Hall of Fame Game, it'll be special. Preseason will mean a lot to us. I know a lot of people say nothing means less than preseason-and I go along with that to a certain extent. But for us preseason will be extra special because I'll be going for the first time with our players."
In addition to the return of Gibbs, the secondary storyline between the Redskins and Broncos is the March 2004 blockbuster trade that sent running back Clinton Portis to Washington in exchange for cornerback Champ Bailey. Portis is one of the many new faces on the Redskins sidelines after another busy offseason of free agency acquisitions, which included linebacker Marcus Washington, defensive linemen Phillip Daniels and Cornelius Griffin, quarterback Mark Brunell, cornerback Shawn Springs and 2004 first-round draft pick safety Sean Taylor.
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